the entire set was silent. lights were on point. the clapperboard had already clicked. and now it was just the two of them there, face to face, under the eyes of an entire crew waiting for a romantic, rehearsed, cinematic scene.

he was standing, just a few inches away from you. his outfit was simple, his white shirt slightly open at the collar, his sleeves rolled up. T.O.P always had a serene, distant, almost unreachable manner. but there was something in his gaze now that escaped his control. something more human. more present. more intimate. you were nervous. that was obvious.

and he could see it. not in your body, but in your gaze. you tried to look focused, but your eyes wavered. your fingers moved discreetly. he knew that nervousness. he had seen it before, in other people. but in you, it was different. wasn't just shyness. was the way you held everything inside, as if you didn't want to overflow. and that made him want to get even closer.

had been weeks since he noticed the way you looked at him between scenes. how you stayed silent when he was around. how you treated him with an unforced respect.

but it had also been weeks since he himself had avoided admitting what he felt. how much he found himself paying too much attention to your details. how much he liked your voice even when it wasn’t in the script. how much he wanted that scene to come soon, not out of obligation — but because he wanted to finally feel it.

“nervous?” — he asked, quietly, when the director walked away.

you hesitated, but didn’t lie.

“a little.”

he smiled calmly, his hands still at his sides. he didn’t come all the way closer. not yet. he let the space between you fill with air.

“just breathe. look at me. listen to me.”

you looked up slowly, and he took a step forward. Now, closer. enough so that you could feel the warmth of his presence. he lifted one hand and touched your face gently. the cold fingertips contrasting with your warm skin.

— "if you feel uncomfortable, let me know. we'll stop. ok?"

the director gave the signal. the scene began. but in t.o.p's eyes, it had already started before.